Submergence
by Secret Sheik
Summary: Kisame is captured by Konoha after Gai's attack. Sakura is charged with his health. Both search for truth, and both may just find more than they bargained for. Kisame/Sakura. Rated for things and stuff.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This fic takes place after chapter 507, and as I write this, 507 just came out. Most likely, this will not be canon. Although, at this point, who really cares what is canon anymore? Also made Sakura and the other people a bit older. Why? Well, come on, even on the path of a shinobi, no fifteen year old should have that much power.

Sakura had been cleaning up Konoha with the other villagers when she heard someone call out her name. When she looked up, Neji greeted her briefly. "Sakura-san, they are bringing in an Akatsuki prisoner."

Her brows furrowed, her expression bemused as she rose from her task. "A prisoner? You mean someone actually caught one of them... _alive?_"

"Alive, but unconscious. They want to make sure he stays that way for a while. Tsunade-sama is still in recovery, and Shizune is unable to tend to this. That leaves you. They asked me to send for you, to keep the prisoner unconscious for as long as they require."

An errant strand of hair was shoved aside from her eyes, thoughts going through all of the formulas she knew off hand. "That shouldn't be overly difficult. If you can find me an assistant to locate any ingredients around here..." Her eyes turned to gaze at the destruction around her. "Never mind. If we can't find ingredients, I can induce unconsciousness using my chakra. Who is the prisoner?"

"I only heard his name. Hoshigake Kisame."

She paused, thinking over what she already knew of Akatsuki. Strange, she didn't know much about this one. Then, it came to her. "I remember now. Itachi's partner, right?" When Neji supplied a nod, she recalled everything. "Right, the one with sharklike features. That shouldn't interfere with my medical techniques much. I'll follow you."

The unfinished collection of debris was left behind in the dust, her feet guiding her over fallen beams and around rubble. Konoha was like a maze now, the familiar streets turned into a hodge-podge of clutter and wooden supports. All around, people were picking up the pieces of what they had once loved. It was from this that she had to tear her eyes away. There was work to be done. Ahead, where Yamato had gotten a head start on reconstructing buildings, most of the structures had been taken over as emergency treatment centers and lodging for the critically injured. This was also where the prisoner would be kept, she assumed. One of those buildings may well have to be converted for interrogation. The mere thought made her cringe.

A small crowd clustered around someone, and Yamato was in the center of it. He efficiently cleared everyone away from the scene, looking over heads until he spotted her. Waving his arms, he directed her over to where the heavily beaten shark man lay at his feet. "Sakura-chan... you're just in time." He was out of breath, collapsing to a sitting position on the ground as soon as she neared. "You'll need to be quick. He's showing signs of waking up already."

"Right." Next to her, Neji left the scene quickly, no doubt on other errands. She focused on the task at hand, kneeling next to Kisame's barely breathing body. Whoever had defeated him had done so with a great amount of blunt force trauma. No time for an exam yet, though. A warm flood of chakra filled her hands, her fingers delicately resting on the man's temples as she flooded his mind. Considering his size, weight and unnatural nature, she increased the pressure of her chakra, searching out the center for sleep in the brain. She probed at it cautiously, seeing how much it took to get his breathing to lengthen, his muscles to relax and thoughts to fade away. That should do it. Sitting back with a sigh, she looked up into Yamato's anxious expression. "He should be out for at least a few hours now, if not longer. I will need to do a full physical assessment before any sort of interrogation is done on him. We need a whole hostage, after all."

"Yes... As I'm sure Neji informed you, neither Tsunade or Shizune are in any condition to do this. I hope you don't mind taking this on alone. You're the next best medic in Konoha."

"No, it's alright. If I can take any burden off my master and Shizune, I'll gladly do it." Her lips twisted in a small frown as she stared down at the shark's calm visage. "I'd even do the interrogation if it was necessary. This man was partnered with Itachi. He has to know something about Sasuke. Even if he doesn't, his knowledge about the organization in general might lead us to him. I know how invaluable our time is."

"Alright. I can get you set up in this building here. There's already a pallet set up, you can put him there until we can find an examination table. If there are any left."

"There aren't, I already know that much. The buildings you have here and the Hokage mountain are all that's left. What you have in there right now will be enough. He's not in such dire condition that I can't heal him with chakra alone. From what I can tell already, he has remarkably high regenerative properties, much like Naruto. Not quite as fast as him, but faster than ours. How much do you know about this Kisame?"

"He has... many strange techniques. I'm not very familiar with the shinobi of the mist, but his techniques are best described as... bizarre. I've never seen anything like it. He was able to seal himself within his own sword, as if becoming a part of it. He's water-natured, obviously, and he can summon vast amounts of shark demons. His chakra reserves are immense, but he makes a very efficient use of it. Along with that, he is very experienced in battle, and hardly needs his sword to win a fight."

"I see..." She did a quick visual once-over, inspecting a few of the bruises curiously. "This looks like hand to hand work. Gai-sensei?"

"Right, he was there on the island when it happened."

"That's interesting... Wait, didn't he fight Kisame before? Yeah, it was back when I had to fight Sasori... Gai's team fought against Kisame's clone while we fought Itachi's."

"If I remember hearing right, this was their third encounter."

"It seems a bit odd that Gai-sensei would not have mentioned this before. I only know because I was there. Did he mention anything in particular about Kisame?"

Yamato considered that for a minute, leaning back as well. "No. In fact, despite this being their third meeting, he seemed to have no idea who Kisame was. We reminded him, sure, but even then he couldn't remember."

She let out a long sigh. "I respect his skill, but he needs to focus a bit more on remembering what's important. Alright. Could you help me take this big lug in? I'll do a more thorough exam without the gaping crowd."

When Yamato looked up, sure enough they had started to attract a crowd again. He shooed them away briefly before lifting under Kisame's shoulders while she took the feet. They barely managed to get his heavy frame past the doorway, but by some sort of luck they managed to get him situated on the pallet. She brushed a bit of sweat off her brow, nodding one last time. Yamato understood the gesture, leaving her alone with the shark.

Seconds slowly ticked by as she assessed the situation. She was alone with an Akatsuki member. This was far stranger than her encounter with Sasori. He had been able to fight back. Somehow this was oddly disappointing. His clothing was barely recognizeable, his pants the only thing intact enough to cover him. It made things easier for her, though at the same time a bit more... awkward. True, she was accustomed to seeing all sorts of anatomy, but still, seeing someone new was always a bit unnerving. Her hands flew automatically to his chest, checking his vitals. Breathing was normal, given the amount of damage sustained. Blood loss was high, but his heart beat a strong, steady rhythm. Blood pressure seemed normal, though she wasn't sure if someone as altered as he was had the same kind of flow. His heart was a larger size due to his unusual qualities, and she discovered with a bit of shock that the gills on his face were quite functional and linked to his lungs. That was where things got interesting.

Part of his body appeared to be completely inhuman. Retractable fins seemed to be lodged in his back and arms, a larger set of gills stowed away near his collarbone. His bones seemed to be bone, not largely cartilage like a true shark, but she detected a certain softness that would allow him to take a great amount of damage without a long recovery time. Despite these sharklike attributes, he seemed just as well suited to land as to water. Large lungs could take in air straight, the gills retractable. Still, he couldn't have stayed in a place like Suna for too long without water, that much was certain. His injuries were extensive, though not life threatening, so she only healed the most problematic ones. As she worked, she tensed for a moment when his eyes opened. She had immobilized him from the neck down with another jutsu, but she felt his icy eyes pin her with his glare.

Sakura met his gaze fearlessly, rising from her hunched observations. "You won't be able to move until I allow it, so don't bother fighting it."

His eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the scene as he sighed lightly. "I know what this is."

"Good. I didn't expect you to wake just yet, but I suppose your recovery is even faster than I expected." Enough pleasantries, she chided herself. There was no need to reassure someone like him. "Where is Uchiha Sasuke?"

He went through a few different expressions, most of them thoughtful. "Why should I say anything to you, kunoichi?"

"I might just let you sit up to eat instead of having you laying there all day."

His lips thinned into a line, eyes darting to hers. "Even if I wanted to tell you, I've got nothing to tell. I have no idea where he is now, I was sent off on my mission before he even came around. You probably know more than I do." Eyes glancing from ceiling to her, then back, he let out another small huff of a sigh. "I suppose this is where the interrogation starts."

"No, not yet. I'm not the one doing the interrogation. You might not like who will be, though." She tried to give a satisfied smirk, but it just wouldn't come. Despite him being Akatsuki, she never could bring herself to see interrogation or torture as a justifiable action. Necessary, yes. Warranted, certainly. Palatable? No. "I will be taking care of your physical exam, as well as healing or other instructions from the other staff."

He scoffed, staring intensely at the wooden roof overhead. "They'll get nowhere fast. For all I know, it's not much. It's not like I was in charge of anything."

"Who was, then?"

"Oh no you don't, girly. I'm not about to spill anything to anyone, no matter what happens. Like I said, interrogation or not, you won't get anything from the likes of me. I'm trained to endure this shit."

She didn't say anything, simply slipping into medic mode, investigating everything and taking notes as she went. Someone had been kind enough to leave a clipboard and pad of lined paper behind, and she used it gratefully. The pencil scratched on the tablet repeatedly, pages turning as they were filled, and she couldn't help noticing that his musculature was very peculiar. It looked normal outwardly, but the way it was built piqued her interest. "Reminds me of Zabuza..." Her voice was so soft, she almost didn't realize she said it out loud until he responded.

"Ugh, don't compare me to that guy."

Her lips turned down into a frown, though she kept up her work. "Well, why not? You had a lot in common."

He caught on to her use of the past tense quickly. "So he's dead. Serves the idiot right."

She stared at him with disbelief. "You seriously didn't know he was dead? He was your old comrade, maybe a friend, or at least a fellow team member. It's been years!"

"Didn't care. I was busy with other things."

"I'm sure Akatsuki kept you quite busy, but that still doesn't explain why you had to find out about your own fellow team mate's death so many years after the fact. How could you not care? Even if you weren't fond of him, he was still a part of your group, part of something you knew."

He laughed out loud at that, stopping only when she stared him down. "Oh come on, you're a ninja. You know how it is. Your team members are only your team members until you leave the team, and after that, your only concern is your new team. It doesn't pay to have emotional attachments, we're taught that from day one. All it does is make you go crazy, like Zabuza. Really, what kind of ninja are you? If I hadn't seen you heal like that, I would have thought they brought in a mere village girl."

A long pause followed, extending as she finished one more note. She bit her lip, not looking in his direction, barely focusing her vision on the clipboard. "I used to think like that too. We do things different here. You almost never see a missing ninja from Konoha, and it's for a good reason. Our ways have changed from the old days. We treasure our bonds."

"What a load of crap. It's all a bunch of crap, the ninja system, the relationships, the alliances, all crap. Your bonds won't do you much good if the other villages ever got the initiative to attack."

She had to admit he was right about that, at least. "No, maybe not. But we'll still take them for what they're worth here and now. Even if we didn't have them, we would still lose through attrition. I would rather live as best as I can in the circumstances, and keep searching for the truth."

"The truth, huh... There is no truth left in the shinobi world."

"What do you mean by that?" She looked down at him, but he had turned his head aside, eyes closed and not looking like he would answer. With a small sigh to herself, she returned to her notes. If he wanted to talk, he had the time. Until then, she would be patient. Still... what did he mean? The thoughts troubled her even in her deepest concentration. No, she told herself. Save the thoughts for later. There's work to be done. Her hands glowed green again, her thoughts cast aside as she leaned forward once again. Maybe later.


	2. Chapter 2

Submergence - Chapter 2

_Ibiki has always given me the creeps_, Sakura thought to herself, staring out the window where the man waited to be let in. _I don't care that he's on our side, I still wouldn't walk outside alone in the dark knowing he was out on the streets._ He was waiting outside for her signal, knowing she wasn't quite done with the assessment. She tucked the pencil behind her ear absently, skimming her long pages of notes before determining it was enough for now. As she turned to leave, Kisame spoke for the first time in hours.

"What, not going to knock me out again?"

She was a bit perplexed by his sarcastic tone, though his generally good humor in the face of the most threatening circumstances tended to catch her off guard anyway. "No. I'm afraid they wouldn't be too pleased with me if I did that."

"Interesting." His sharp, jagged teeth gleamed slightly as he grinned at her. "I suppose you'll be the medic presiding over this mess, won't you?"

"Right. All interrogations of any kind have to have a medic present."

"I doubt you've ever had to be the one to do it, though."

"A few times. Nothing so high profile, but I know what will happen." _And what won't happen_, she added to herself. It was often a long, messy process, but she knew that no medic could go through life innocent, just as any shinobi couldn't. The medics were exposed to some things that other ninjas never had to know about, but it was how she could help, not harm, that kept her where she was. Good and bad balanced themselves evenly, though this job sometimes left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Yeah well I hope you're ready for several long hours of being bored since nothing will happen. In fact..." He twisted his head slightly, a loud crack sounding as his neck popped. "I'm already bored. Why not call in your interrogator? I want to have some fun."

She glanced back long enough to see him smirking and eager before heading to the door with an internal shake of her head. He just didn't make any sense. The technique currently keeping him immobile wouldn't hinder the perception of pain, and she had put it on him while he was still unconscious. Yamato had mentioned in passing while giving her lunch that Kisame had the ability to absorb chakra through his sword, and also through a few of his techniques. However, if he ever did somehow manage to break her jutsu, the chains now binding him would leave him powerless, hindering his chakra formation through a jutsu placed on the chains. The only thing that could get those off was a special key that she kept close to her person, and she was not about to flash that around.

Ibiki walked in silently when she opened the door, pulling on rough leather gloves before sizing up his opponent carefully. Yes, he remembered this particular ninja from years ago. How could he not remember one of such unique qualities and a stubborn nature that went beyond pride? This was going to be a difficult and tiresome task, though the challenge was definitely something he was looking forward to. He stepped to where Kisame was propped against the wall, only pausing when he saw the look of recognition in the other's eyes. "I see you still remember the last time we met. Well, I heard that trying to look into your mind doesn't work too well, you're trained to resist such things. You even bit your own tongue to break the jutsu."

Sakura stepped forward at that, looking at him for confirmation. "Is that so? I'll need to document this and have a quick look. I didn't get a chance before he regained consciousness."

"Yes, that is what the report stated. The sort of techniques that Inoichi has would not do much good against him. Still, I can't say I don't mind doing things the old fashioned way..."

"You can do whatever you like after I make a complete notation on this incident. I have to have a thorough report." She once again went to Kisame's side, peering down towards his mouth. "Would you please open your mouth so I can take a look?" Akatsuki or not, she wanted to give everyone the chance to cooperate on their own. It made things easier for everyone. Kisame seemed to understand that as well as she did, and let her inspect inside willingly. The tongue itself wasn't completely gone, but he had sure taken a good chunk out of it, and it must have been quite painful. However, with those sharp teeth of his, it looked like it was a clean cut and it had scabbed over without infection. With that noted, she rose to take her place in the corner.

Kisame only sighed, looking over Ibiki with a tired gaze. "Did they really have to give me you again? You're such a bore."

Once Ibiki reached Kisame, Sakura's mind went elsewhere. It had been like this ever since her first time presiding over an interrogation with Tsunade at her side. The older woman had told her that someday, she would have to watch something far worse than what they were about to see, but she wanted to be there to support her through the first time. That time had been a bad experience, but quickly she learned to let her mind separate, her hands gaining a mind of their own, jotting notes of every single procedure used during the interrogation while the rest of her mind traversed to a place where she no longer heard the grunts and screams of prisoners. Her hands felt leaden and dull, her legs stiff, her heart cold. Thoughts dimmed, focused only on the hard, long scratches growing on her notepad, matching the same ones growing on blue tinted skin. Black, blue, red, purple, deep crimson, all colors felt like a blur until she was jolted from her phase by Yamato coming in and shaking her on the shoulder.

"You need to eat something, Sakura. Come on. Ibiki needs to eat too, I'll make sure everyone is taken care of."

She nodded dully, still lost somewhat in the stupor of automated thinking, quickly coming back to the world. "Oh. Right. Thank you. How are the food reserves?"

"We'll manage. Although the city itself has been destroyed, the outer-lying farms are still intact. We've been set back a bit, but everyone can be fed. The villagers have been busy planting fruit trees, and I'll be helping them grow with my chakra once I get a break."

"That's not much of a break. Alright, I'll get some dinner. I'll bring you back something too, you've been working hard all day."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I appreciate it."

She sighed heavily, shaking her head to clear out her thoughts. Yamato and Ibiki had already headed outside to take shifts guarding the building, and although she told herself not to look back, her mind always made her do the one thing she didn't want to do. She looked. Despite the growing pools of blood, Kisame still sat there silent as a rock, his smirk still firmly placed on his face. Strangely, she felt reassured by his resilience. This was still a fair battle.

The bright evening light was a bit blinding after spending so long indoors. Ahead, a small building used for temporary dry goods storage stood next to fresher storage, and people were hurrying back and forth carrying bags of rice, dried herbs, smoked meats and canned or dried fruits. Nearby, cattle were being culled and slaughtered, smoked over massive campfires. Some had been tied to trees to bleed out, the blood running in small rivers into the fields. Although she knew the blood would help fertilize the fields, the smell was sickening. She quickly turned her eyes away and headed to the one standing restaurant dishing out fresh, hot food. It was just after dinner, so there wasn't much of a line. Many people had started large cooking fires to meet the needs of the masses, so she was able to find a seat and enjoy the food without interruption.

Only moments after she sat down, though, an interruption still managed to find its way inside, but she was glad when she looked up to see her childhood friend Ino with an excited look on her face. Sakura leaned back in her chair, gesturing to the one across from her tiredly. "I'm more exhausted than I thought I was, Ino. How are the villagers?"

Ino pouted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, leaning back as well. "You know they're fine, now tell me the news! I heard you just got a tough interrogation case! So, how is it?"

"God Ino, how do you manage to find things out that you're not supposed to? Never mind, half the village saw Yamato drag Kisame in. You heard that too, right? They finally captured an Akatsuki member alive."

"Right, I went to go check on you, but Yamato said you were getting dinner. This is the only restaurant open, so it didn't take a genius to find you. I can't believe it though... to actually capture one alive. That must have taken a lot of work. After what that Pain did to Konoha... You know, I never even got a good look at him, and then there's you! You've seen... how many now?"

"Well... you remember I told you about Sasori. I was so scared that day. I really thought I was going to die there and never have a chance to prove myself. I thought I would never see Konoha again. Then there was his partner, Deidara. He kinda looked like you, it was creepy."

She leaned forward, a secretive glimmer in her eyes. "Ooh, so he was attractive, then?"

Sakura nearly choked on her noodles. "Ino! How can you talk like that? He was an Akatsuki member! He was the one who used Gaara's lifeless body as a couch!"

"He was probably doing that to provoke everyone into attacking before they were ready. I mean, ninjas from Konoha are a bit notorious for having a heart."

"I know, but still. Anyway, I didn't see much of him. We met up with that clone of Itachi, too. I never imagined he could be so... frightening up close."

"Ah, him. I guess... I resent him a little, still, for driving Sasuke away from Konoha like that. First he kills the clan, leaving Sasuke alone, and then he comes back, taunting him into seeking to gain power."

"You know what, though, Ino? I actually don't think Itachi is entirely to blame. I know, he did bad things for reasons we don't know, but it wasn't entirely him. Sasuke had his chance to make the right choices. I realize this now, and it's funny we didn't see it sooner. He was always such a brooding person. Don't get me wrong, I still hope to bring him back someday, but if we can't... maybe it's meant to be that way."

"I suppose. I mean, there's not much we can do except try our hardest. In the end, it really is his choice." Her head slid down onto one hand, propped up on the table as she slouched. "I gave up on that stupid crush I used to have on him. Sure he's a great ninja, but he has the personality of a rock. Not really my type. So... what about the other Akatsuki?"

"I never saw Kisame before this, I only heard of him. I saw the one named Zetsu briefly during the whole mess at the Kage summit. The one that was disturbing, though, was the one with the orange mask. He acted like a complete idiot, but his skill was unmistakeable. I could tell that he had a lot of talent. While Naruto was fighting him, it seemed like every punch he threw went straight through the guy! He seems to have the ability to phase through objects, it's strange. He seemed so malicious, intelligent and cunning beneath the act. I don't know. I hope we'll find out more from Kisame."

Ino sighed, slouching further until she was practically sprawled all over the table. "Man, Sakura, you have all the fun while I'm stuck at the hospital all day trying to catch up with you! I haven't even presided over an interrogation yet, that's how busy I was. What a life!"

"What? Tsunade hasn't had you watch an interrogation yet?"

"Either I didn't have the time or she didn't have the time to guide me through the process, or we just didn't have anyone to interrogate. Not like we had any volunteers."

Sakura laughed lightly at that, finishing one more bite of her food. "I wouldn't want to be around Ibiki even for a business lunch, let alone even a faked interrogation. Still, you're really overdue. Well... I suppose... I could ask Yamato and Ibiki if it would be alright if you came back with me. There's no reason I can't train you. There's not really a better opportunity than this."

"The villagers are doing well enough on their own right now, and it's not like I have to run around organizing the hospital! Yeah, you know, this would be probably the only time that I can actually squeeze my duties in with my work. Oh man, what a mess I am. Could I please go back with you? Maybe you can show me that jutsu you use to close off parts of the nervous system? I never could get the hang of that."

"I don't see why not. Ibiki is hardly going to be distracted by you. There's no reason you couldn't. Aren't you going to eat?"

"I already ate earlier. Are you done?"

"Yeah, I'm done." She laid her chopsticks across her empty bowl, rising out of her chair while Ino followed. Outside, dead cattle were still being cleaned and dressed, sheep being sheared and dogs chasing after the herds. The sun was nearly setting, glowing harsh and yellow in the pre-dusk light. Farmers greeted them as they passed, following the trail back to the building. Ino seemed oddly quiet, but Sakura could hardly blame her. Kisame was going to prove very tough to crack, and for a first interrogation, this was going to be quite an overload on her. Still, they were both medics. They both knew that life was neither clean nor easy.

Sakura picked up a bag of nuts and dried fruits on the way back, and when she saw Yamato leaning against the door frame leading to the interrogation building, she handed him the small snack. "Here, these should keep you for a while."

He smiled gratefully, looking over to Ino as he accepted the snack. "Oh, Ino, glad you found her."

"She wants to join the interrogation process. She mentioned that she's never had to be present at one before, and we're really supposed to do that once we reach second year, and she's been a medic almost as long as I have. Would it be alright?"

"You'd have to ask Ibiki, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Go on in. He should be ready for you."

"Thanks, Yamato." She briefly nodded to him and Ino quickly followed suit, both stepping quietly into the inner chamber. Inside, Ibiki looked up at them both, brushing his clothes off briskly.

"Hm? Well, Ino, I don't think I've ever seen you at an interrogation before. I suppose it's about time, isn't it?"

Ino laughed nervously. "Well, you know how busy it's been the last year or so."

"We've all been busy. Well, it doesn't matter, stay if you want. Sakura will show you what to do."

The three entered the inner chamber where Kisame was kept, the previous room more of a receiving chamber. Kisame was still chained to a pole, looking incredibly bored. When they entered, though, he looked up with a cheery grin. "Well well, now I have two pretty ladies to look over me? This must be my lucky day."

Ibiki kicked his shin roughly. "Quiet. Sakura, Ino, please make sure he's well enough to continue."

Kisame's grin only grew wider when the two ladies picked a side and started checking him over. "One to the left, one to the right, how could I possibly not be well enough?" He blatantly ignored Ibiki's glare, looking over to the blond woman with a smirk. "I know the cherry head, now who might this lovely woman be?"

Sakura only rolled her eyes at his comment, already used to his behavior, but Ino blushed with a combination of embarrassment and frustration, so Sakura decided to provide some relief. "Her name is Ino, and she will be joining me today so you better behave yourself. Come on, Ino. He's alright." Ino scooted away gratefully, taking her place in the corner as Sakura made her own way there. Once Ibiki stepped forth again, Sakura whispered to Ino, handing her a spare notepad and pen. "During an interrogation, it is our duty to keep the prisoner alive and well enough to be interrogated. While Ibiki is working, take notes of every single thing that happens, don't leave anything out. It's important to get as much as possible so we have a complete record. You remember how to block out the noise, right?"

She nodded back uncertainly. "Yeah, I remember. Not sure if I can do it, though."

"Don't worry, you'll be alright. Besides, this guy can take a lot, so don't worry about it, alright?"

"Alright, I'll try." At her reassuring smile, Sakura gave a nod to Ibiki. Once again, her mind wandered while she took her notes. However, she couldn't help but look at Ino from time to time, noticing her pale complexion growing paler by the minute, her lips tense but her brows set with resolute concentration. At the least, she was able to keep her focus. Sakura tried not to think about her surroundings, going to other problems while she blindly stared at her paper full of notations, her hand suddenly not part of her body as she continued. Who exactly was that masked ninja from before? What about that Zetsu person? What about the woman from Akatsuki that Naruto had mentioned? Who was she? Naruto had had little time to explain things before going off yet again, but she had enough time to get more fodder for questions.

"Sakura..."

She jumped slightly, looking over at Ino. "What?"

"Why is he staring at us like that?"

Sure enough, Kisame wasn't paying any attention to Ibiki, staring at the two of them with an amused look. He even let out a brief chuckle when Sakura finally gave him a glance directly in the eyes. She could tell, now, that no matter what Ibiki tried, no matter how harsh the punishment, Kisame was having the time of his life defying the odds set before him. Ibiki himself finally let out a long sigh, looking out the window at the stars now bright in the sky. "That will be all for this night, ladies. Don't give him any food, only water. Heal whatever you can, and return back here promptly in the morning. Don't make me have to come wake you." He offered a small smile, but Sakura wasn't so sure that he wouldn't do such a thing. She only nodded politely.

"We will do that. Goodnight."

"Actually, Sakura, if you feel able to do the healing process alone, I'll guide Ino a bit more thoroughly on the rest of the interrogation process."

She took a moment to stretch her stiff muscles, tired from standing so still all day. "I can do that. Just make sure she gets all of the files, too. I know it's a lot to go over, but the notes from earlier should help."

He took Sakura's notebook from the table, adding it to Ino's. "There should be a few things from Neji and Tenten's report on him, as well as Kakashi's. The records house was destroyed along with everything else, but fortunately it's a recent incident. I'll have you both look it all over when you're prepared."

The two left, and Sakura was left with a stiff back and a mess. She sighed, releasing some chakra into her neck to loosen a particularly difficult knot, moving to Kisame's side slowly. He was still grinning at her, clearly amused by the entire situation. Tired, she set to work, feeling moody. "What are you grinning at, anyway?"

He only laughed at her, completely unperturbed. "This is great, I haven't had this much fun since the last time that guy did a number on me. You know, I think I've been missing this."

"Oh. You met before, then."

"It was a long time ago, kid. How old are you, anyway?"

She didn't think revealing her age would harm anything. None of the questions she had answered so far had ever jeopardized anything important. Anyone with a recent bingo book could look it all up. "I'm nineteen, I'll be twenty soon."

"Ah, so many shinobi are dead before even then." His tone might have meant to be sad, but she could clearly see the laughter in his eyes. "Funny, isn't it, who lives and who dies? I wonder who will be the one to kill me. Maybe I ought to have done the job myself. Too bad your other ninjas caught on to what I was planning to do."

"What would that accomplish, anyway?" She shook her head, her hands flooded with green chakra, healing his major wounds. "If you live, you can still protect your friends."

"Maybe so, but if you have something the enemy wants, if you die, you do an even better job of it. Then the enemy can't get what you have."

Her hands paused where they were, not yet moving to the next spot. She risked a look at his eyes, which now no longer held laughter or amusement, only a long, deep, serious glance. "I see. You were at the mountain in cloud, and you saw whatever it was Naruto was doing. You didn't want to get captured, you didn't want to end up just like this, being here right now. Instead, you wanted to protect Akatsuki by giving your life up." Her lips tightened, eyes narrowing with sadness. "I would do anything for my friends. I suppose if it came down to them or me, I would do the same."

He returned to his normal self, chuckling at her lightly. "It's true, you Konoha ninjas really do have a strange sense of duty. The mission or your friends? Which way is the real failure? Which way is true? How could you ever be completely sure?" A loud burst of laughter shook his heavy frame. "I really don't know what to think about you Konoha nin. Nothing is ever simple with you."

"I still prefer it this way."

"Oh really? What if things got complicated? What if you had to kill your comrades for the sake of the mission? Or what if your so-called friends were suddenly labeled traitors to the village? What would you do then? Would you choose your village or just a select few? What path would you suppose was right?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to concentrate." Her thoughts were torn between knitting together fragments of flesh, already a delicate process, or trying to get information out of him by being sociable. Little by little, though their conversations were vague, he was giving hints into things that had happened in his past, or at least things he had witnessed. Whenever Ibiki took the knife to him, only silence met his efforts, where she had been able to get the tiniest peeks into minor but interesting things. She decided to go for getting more information in a roundabout manner. "I heard that Zabuza killed an entire class of teammates."

"That's right. He sure went on quite a spree." His grin was a bit too excited, his gaze unsettling. "You know, I heard it took over a month for all the blood stains to come out."

"What was he like?"

He obviously hadn't expected such a question, and was obviously caught off guard. "What was he like? I don't know, he was a strange one. I always knew he would go on a killing spree, he had that look about him. We still got along, though, of course. No point in being overly competitive, though in the mist they didn't care who you got into a fight with and when. Everyone was completely shocked when he killed all of those kids except me. Every last one of them, from the strongest to the weakest, it didn't matter to him. All of them died, it was a slaughter."

"It was just like Itachi."

He suddenly grew sharp in tone, his eyes switching to an unexpected surge of anger. "He was nothing like that." As quickly as it came, his rage subsided as he caught on to what she was trying to do. "Nice try, but that is one thing I won't talk about. Talk about Zabuza all you want, talk about the mist, but that is one thing I won't talk about. You could never understand what that kid went through."

Her tone softened instinctively, moving away to make a more comfortable distance between them, the healing process complete. "Nobody will understand if it's never told."

"If he wanted anyone to know, he would have told them. Forget it. I'm done talking to you." He turned his head away from her, resting it on his forearms lashed securely to the bar in front of him. She took the hint, rising quietly and making her way to the exit.

"Alright. Goodnight... Kisame." Her steps felt dead and automatic as she left, her mind racing with thoughts even as she said goodnight to the guard that had taken over for Yamato. What had he meant by that? In that brief moment of uncontrollable anger, she had seen the depth of his loyalty. This also brought back what Sasuke had said not long ago. What had gone on between him and his brother? What did Kisame mean? What had Itachi been like, then? What exactly happened on that day so many years ago, the day of the massacre? She shook her head, hand going to smooth back her hair from her eyes. "What am I thinking about this for? I'm exhausted." Maybe things would be clearer in the morning. With one last sigh, she made her way to the outer camps where some of the ninjas from her age group had already started to pitch tents, already not looking forward to a night on the hard ground. Even so, sleep came easily even to her troubled mind.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ack, thank you for all the nice reviews! It's quite encouraging! I've been writing while at work (they don't care, it gets slow sometimes) in a notepad, I think this might help me update stuff more often. This also gives me a chance to proofread what I write before I post it. This might seem weird, but I never proofread. Yeah. I'll work on that. Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Believe me, if I did, something like this would be happening now.

Submergence - Chapter 3

Sakura woke as sore as she thought she would be, after sleeping on the ground and going to bed stiff. With a tired yawn, she quickly dressed and had a small meal before going back into the chaos. Genin ninjas, even Konohamaru, were helping without complaint, carrying loads of food, clothes, all kinds of essentials back and forth. More genin and chuunin were constructing shelters with the help of Tazuna and Inari. The moment word of Konoha's need reached them, they gratefully returned to the village - and the heroes - that had helped them so long ago. She still remembered that day. That had been the day she truly realized how incompetent she had been. That was the day she decided to try to change, but it was a day much later when that dream had become reality. Hard work was all that filled the space between.

Yamato was on guard duty again, but she didn't enter right away. "Where did Naruto go, anyway?"

"Kakashi went with him and a few others. He took team eight to hopefully track down where that summoned shark went. The scent of salt and ocean isn't exactly uncommon there, but maybe they can find something. It's worth a try, unless Kisame talks."

"I hope he will, but nothing Ibiki tries seems to work. He talks much more once everyone else is gone."

Yamato looked a bit hopeful at that. "You mean he talks to you?"

"Well, nothing special. You heard about that mission we had in the wave country. I asked a few general questions about Zabuza, and he was willing to answer them."

"I see..." He was thoughtful for a moment, staring off into the distance. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way. Maybe you could get more information by being friendly with him."

She wasn't sure she liked the idea of getting chummy with an Akatsuki member, but it wasn't like she hadn't already been doing exactly that. "I thought the same thing. I tried asking him about Itachi, but he was completely against that. Yamato, you should have seen the look in his eyes when he told me this. He said I could never understand what Itachi went through. What is there to really understand?"

For a long moment, he didn't answer, his gaze somewhat dark and pensive before he snapped out of it. "Something happened long ago, but nobody was quite sure what it was. It seemed so strange that someone who was so dutiful to his family and village could do something like that. After what Sasuke said... I wonder. There might be more going on than we think."

Suddenly, something fit together in her mind. There had to be a reason that Sasuke snapped like that. His revenge was fulfilled, and yet he was so enraged. Kisame hadn't even directly met Sasuke. They couldn't both be lying. And then Danzo... "Oh no... Yamato, I'll be back later. I have to see Tsunade. Just let Ino continue, she's been doing fine. I have to find out what's going on!" She barely waited for his nod, racing across the crater to where the ruins of the Hokage building lay. Shelters had been hastily constructed there too, and she knew which one her beloved teacher was recovering in.

Shizune was inside, kneeling down next to where Tsunade was laying on a low futon. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"

She didn't even realize she was out of breath from running so hard, panting as she leaned on her knees to rest. "I need to talk with Tsunade-sama. Do you mind? I won't take too long."

Tsunade, to be honest, looked terrible. The technique she used to look younger was long gone, her energy exhausted. It was a miracle she was even alive. She was awake, though, and waved Shizune away. "It's alright, I'm feeling better now. Make sure that interrogation won't miss her for too long."

Once Shizune left, Sakura took her place on the floor. "I'm glad you're doing better. It's been so busy, I had no time to see you."

Despite looking incredibly tired, her amber eyes were attentive. "I'm fine, I'll manage. Just tell me what had you running in here like you were being chased by hunters!"

"Tsunade-sama, I need to know if you know what... what really happened the day if the Uchiha massacre."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her brows furrowing. "What do you mean? Everyone knows what happened." She could tell, though, through a long association with her student that the young woman wasn't buying that in the least. Well, damn her perception, then. "I see. This is about your interrogation case. I suppose it was only a matter of time before his partner talked. Even the toughest can break eventually."

"Well, not exactly. No matter what Ibiki did, Kisame seemed to enjoy it and didn't say a thing. But later, while I was healing him, he asked a couple questions and I thought it was innocent enough to answer, but then I asked questions back, and he actually answered those. But when I mentioned Itachi, he suddenly got very defensive and angry, and he said I couldn't understand what Itachi had been through. It was so similar to what Sasuke said, I couldn't help but wonder what they meant. That's when I started to think about Danzo, about all of the things that were kept hidden from all of us. I wondered what else might be hidden. Please, if you know something, tell me. I need to know to be able to save lives. If I can understand the situation, maybe he will talk to me. Please."

She looked up into her student's eyes, truly realizing that she had grown up. It was a harsh world they lived in, and nothing clear cut or simple. She was right, though. This may well save lives. The truth was horrible, she knew, but it was still truth. "Alright Sakura, I'll tell you. You've grown up so fast, I didn't realize it. It still seems such a short time ago that you showed up at my doorstep begging for training. You're a strong young woman now, Sakura. I know I can entrust you with this. I think you're right. Keeping such a thing a secret might do more harm in the end. You won't like what you hear, though."

Sakura had already guessed that, her resolve unshaken. "I know."

"A long time ago, there was a war between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan. You know about the Valley of the End, but the statues there depict my grandfather, the first Hokage Senju Hashirama. However, Uchiha Madara... I remember he was always so jealous of my grandfather. He acted polite enough, but I was young and very perceptive. He had been the leader of the Uchiha clan for a very long time, and he wanted to lead Konoha. Madara was the only one out of his entire clan that wanted to go back to the warring ways between the Senju and Uchiha, back to violence. He tried to unite his clan under his rule, but he failed. His clan was tired of the sorrow that came with death, and so he was alone. At the Valley of the End, he challenged Hashirama once more and was defeated. However, he lived and left Konoha."

"I had no idea..."

"His name was scorned and rarely mentioned ever again. Everyone was certain he had left for good. He lost everything, his clan, his home, his memory left behind only to those who directly knew him. Still, the villagers worried that the Uchiha might try to rise again and take control, even though Madara was alone in his quest. To reassure the village and to quell the Uchiha, the third Hokage gave a gesture of trust and set them up as the police force. We thought it would be fine. We really though..." She coughed violently, waving Sakura aside as it passed. "I'm alright. We really though it would be alright, and then... he used the Kyuubi. Madara enslaved the Kyuubi, using it to attack Konoha. You know about that part, how the fourth sealed it inside Naruto. After this incident, everyone was certain that the Uchiha were trying to regain power. In truth, they were more or less content to remain as they were, being the special forces of Konoha, but after that incident..."

"They were blamed for nothing!"

"Yes. This is where the tragedy began. Listen, honor their memories. After this, the Uchiha were scorned, and they couldn't bear it anymore. They began to plot against the village in earnest, and Itachi was to act as their double agent, being in ANBU. However, they never knew that he was a double agent in both directions. Just as he leaked certain information about ANBU to his clan, so did he leak information about the Uchiha right back. Naturally the third and the council got wind of what was going on, and that was when Itachi was given the mission that would end this all- from the very council itself."

Sakura shook, her knees weak. She could barely speak. "No..."

"The third heard about this order, and he tried to stop it from happening, but it was too late. Itachi was more efficient than anyone had guessed. However, they didn't know that he had help. Madara himself helped Itachi kill their doomed clan. Itachi did this to save the village. I suppose Madara did it out of spite."

"How could he..." Her throat clenched, words barely escaping. "How could Itachi do that?"

"The clan or the village, that was what he was struggling with. I can't imagine the pain it must have caused even someone trained to be emotionless. Still, he was ANBU, and the mission was everything. He did what he was told, and he saved the village from certain destruction. If the Uchiha had been able to rise, it would certainly have led to a war neither could have won. And so, he killed the entire clan, all but Sasuke. He, too, was supposed to die, but Itachi couldn't bear it. He begged the third to let Sasuke live, alone and never told about the past. He agreed, and so it was done."

"Why would he push Sasuke into coming after him, though?"

"I'm not sure, only Sasuke could tell us that now. But, now you see why things happened the way they did. The council... hasn't always been quiet. Don't worry, I won't give up."

She gave a small smile to her master, so much like a second mother, though they both knew she was feeling too many emotions right now. Kisame must have known. That was what he meant! Maybe now... "I know, I trust you. Don't worry, Kakashi took good care of things while you were out. Everyone pitched in."

"Yes, so I've heard. I'm glad." She stretched sleepily. "I'm tired. Why don't you go back and see what you can do? Remember to smile, though. We're all doing our best for the village, none of us will go without a fight."

"Right. Thank you, shishou." She smiled again, rising and making haste for the interrogation building, not wanting Tsunade to be left alone for too long, and not wanting to be overcome by these feelings deep in her heart. What the hell was going on? Itachi, for so long regarded an enemy to Konoha, was rather someone who saved it? Tsunade herself was so old... how could someone who had been her grandfather's rival still be alive? She saved the thoughts for later, returning so Shizune could return to Tsunade. The older woman left with just as much haste, leaving her to greet Ino and Ibiki.

Kisame, however, spoke before anyone else got a chance. "And now I have had three ladies today! Here I thought you had grown tired of my company."

Sakura only rolled her eyes again, taking her corner and notes. "I had, but I suppose this is inescapable."

He laughed loudly, only interrupted by a sharp kick from Ibiki. "Hey, easy there, I'm trying to be polite."

Ibiki only gave one more kick. "Enough. Sakura, we will continue."

"Right." She stole a glance at Ino, glad to see she looked a bit amused at her short banter with Kisame. At least he lightened the mood. When the mood darkened, though, she returned back to task, phasing out once more. This day was pretty much a repeat of the day before, and once again, the first break was for a meal. Ino didn't look very hungry, but did look glad to leave. Even Ibiki looked visibly annoyed, and to add hunger on top of that, he probably needed a break. Sakura stayed behind, though, not yet hungry or tired.

Kisame chuckled, looking up at her with one eye open, the other swollen and bruised. "You got cleanup duty again?"

"I don't mind."

"So what was it that kept you from this pleasant task this morning? A little adventuring in the dirt?"

She added a sly smirk, catching him off guard. "Well, you wouldn't tell me about Itachi, so I did a little research of my own."

A low groan resounded in his wide lungs. "Not this again. You really are such a pain. Let the blond girl stay behind next time. She's easier on the eyes and not so sharp at the mouth."

"Yes, well, she can't do this." At her touch, she sent chakra to his back, freeing it from the paralyzation jutsu. His arms and legs were still paralyzed but now he could stretch. He groaned, back popping as he twisted one way and the other.

"Ahh that hit the spot. Alright, fine, so what do you want, anyway? I don't have anything to say."

She leaned closer, using chakra to heal the wounds starting at his neck. "I was hoping we could talk about Uchiha Madara, but that was just a start."

"Uchiha, huh? Itachi killed his clan."

"I'm a good snooper, Kisame. I found out a lot more than I should. For example, that Madara was behind the Kyuubi attack on Konoha. Come to think of it, isn't Akatsuki's major goal to capture all of the tailed beasts? Madara is still alive, and who else would want to gain such terrible power? I think Madara is behind Akatsuki, what do you think?"

"I think you're a no-good prying snooping bitch who should learn to keep her nose in her own business."

"At least we can agree, then." She kept driving him on with her questions, trying to get something - anything - out of him. Although she didn't like being so talkative with him, it was getting easier to understand how to make him say what he shouldn't.

"Alright, what do you think Akatsuki is all about, then?"

"Pain hoped to rule the world through fear. Well... no, his name was Nagato. He wanted to use the bijuu to inspire awe and fear through the world, forcing peace - or else. But if Madara is the true leader... maybe he wants to incite war, I'm not sure."

He leaned, more pops sounding in his back. "That's an interesting theory. Hope you figure it out."

Well, there went that idea. "Madara helped Itachi kill their clan. He resented his clan for not fighting back against the Senju clan many years ago. Maybe he wants to use the bijuu to take over. Still, the Uchiha clan died with his help. Sasuke was supposed to die that day too, but Itachi couldn't do it. He was under direct orders from the council to slay his clan, but he couldn't kill his brother."

Kisame glanced at her suddenly. Obviously this was new to him. "What? What do you mean Madara helped? What orders?"

"Well wasn't that what you meant when you said I couldn't understand? That Itachi wasn't what Konoha made him out to be?"

"He wasn't, but... I never knew that! Damn it all." He rested his head on his arms, muscles in his back clenching. "I guess everyone has a secret after all, don't they? I thought Itachi was hiding something, and that was his right, but Madara... Let me guess, that isn't your natural hair color either?"

She laughed lightly. "You bet, I'm a natural brunette."

"I knew it." Resignation in his tone, he didn't seem irritated any longer, simply tired. "You'd make a crappy brunette."

"I guess. Pink is still weird though."

"No, it's just part of who you are and it's fine. Damn it all." His forehead hit the vertical pole in front of him hard, the metal thudding in protest. As usual, though, he didn't seem to notice pain. "It was a lie, then. All of it was a fucking lie, I bet. I really thought this would be it. What else could he be hiding, I wonder. I thought this would finally-" He stopped himself abruptly. "You're not lying to me too, are you?"

Her hand smoothed back her hair idly. "I thought you already knew. If I was sure you didn't know, then that would have been different. I thought Itachi told you. I mean... so many years together, how could it not come up?"

"He didn't want to talk about it, and I never asked. It was a privilege of being in Akatsuki. If you didn't want to talk about your past, nobody asked. Sure, we had a basic file of our history for the leader to go over and arrange teams to better suit our strengths and weaknesses, but personal issues were never asked about. If you had personal business to take care of, you did it alone."

She nodded, agreeing. "Coming from such a militaristic, harsh place as the mist, I'm sure that seemed like a luxury to keep things to yourself. Even in Konoha, personal business isn't always so. Especially with a no-good prying snooping bitch around, huh?" Winking playfully, she finally felt a bit more at ease with conversing with him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Especially with you around, you're the worst of them all. I bet you have all of the dirt on everyone both in and out of the village. Even the dead get no respite from the likes of you." He looked up slowly, sniffing the air. "Your friends are back. Smells like tempura."

Mentally, she made a note to document his heightened sense of smell. "I don't smell anything, but I know Ino loves tempura. I'll have to get some too." As an afterthought, she went to his blackened eye, healing it with her chakra.

"You don't have to heal that thing, it doesn't hurt too bad."

She only shook her head dismissively. "It's fine. It looks better this way." The words were out of her mouth before she knew it, and the look on his face was mixed with confusion and something else. Before she could identify her own strange intentions, Ino and Ibiki wandered onto the outer chamber, Ino yelling out to her.

"Sakura-chan, I brought your favorite!"

"I'm coming. Thanks Ino!" She left, not meeting his eyes, heading into the outer room and leaving Ibiki and Ino to their work once more. A small table and chairs sat in the corner and she grabbed one, digging into the food blindly. What the heck was wrong with her? Hunger fortunately overcame her mind, her favorite sweet potato tempura just begging her to eat it. Ino sure knew what to get.

Back in the inner chamber, though, Ino couldn't help but wonder. _Why did she heal the black eye? It was superficial..._

* * *

When Sakura finally got another break for dinner, Yamato chatted with her for a few minutes, swapping news. "So, is he talking yet?"

She sighed, stretching out her tired muscles. "Yes and no. No to everything Ibiki does, anyway. He only says things to me, I don't know why. Maybe I just come across as trustworthy."

"You do have a bit of that kind of charm. Well, Sakura, anything you can manage to do will help. We desperately need information."

"I know. Maybe this would go a bit better though without the interrogation part. Maybe I should do the questioning."

"That might go better, but Kisame might also catch on if we did that."

"I think he already figured out what I'm trying to do. Whether we stopped it or not, I doubt it would change anything."

"Maybe. For now, though, let Ibiki do his work. He has more than just the usual unpleasantries on his side."

She shuddered just thinking about it. "Yeah, I'll bet. Let's just wait and see, I guess. Do you want anything to eat?"

His stomach growled and he looked up sheepishly. "Well, if you don't mind. Just a snack."

"Alright. I'm sure I can find something you'll like." Once she had gotten her meal and sat down, however, her thoughts finally caught up with her. _What am I doing? Why doesn't this bother me? Why am I actually starting to like this mission?_ The answer was simple, though. With Naruto gone and everyone preoccupied, she was lonely. She was a very sociable person and she missed the interaction with her friends. Still, trying to replace that with... whatever this was... maybe she should make a point of getting out more. How, though, when she was stuck on this mission and Konoha needed rebuilding? Still undecided, she finished her food, leaving her pay behind. Even everyone's money had been blown to bits along with everything else, but Tsunade had approved wooden tokens to be issued until the village had working funds again.

In the interrogation room, nothing had changed. She brought back some udon soup for Ino and Ibiki, as well as Yamato's snack. Although she had no idea what kind of food Ibiki liked, she figured beef udon was safe. He gave a brief thanks and Ino gave a more excited one, leaving her once again alone with her little problem.

"You know, this is getting dull. By the way, I have blood in my lungs. Just letting you know." Kisame's familiar smirk made her feel a little bit better, which was disturbing, so she simply set herself to task, checking his lungs. Internal hemorrhaging had definitely caused the bleeding, so she healed it at the source. Why had there been so much damage? Yes, she had noticed him coughing blood during the interrogation, but Ibiki's methods tended to do that. This, however, was too much damage to have come from Ibiki alone.

"Have you had any respiratory illnesses lately?"

"Not really, just the occasional cold. My throat hurts like hell though."

Her slim hands slid up his throat, the muscles there tensing at the gentle intrusion. She refused to acknowledge it, focusing on his throat and upper sinuses. A raw, angry infection had blazed its way down his throat and into the upper lungs. "Were you coughing at all while I was gone?"

A large cough racked his frame, a spurt of blood joining the pool on the floor. "Only when the blood builds up enough. My throat burns, but it's not making me cough."

"That's strange. You have a severe infection though. This might hurt a lot." Chakra flooded her fingers, seeping in to find the heart of the infection. It was deeply rooted but her chakra burned it out mercilessly, Kisame wincing with pain. "Alright, the throat is clear for now. You had some scarring from a previous injury that might have ruptured. I strengthened the scar tissue, and cleared as much infection as I could. The bleeding stopped, but you'll need some time to recover."

"Ah, so no interrogation? I think I may die of boredom." His voice sounded broken and rough, but she knew he was healing. "Too bad, I guess our party is on hold for now."

"It wouldn't be good to continue until you're well."

"No point anyway, not like I'll tell him."

"If you ever have something to say, though, I'll still be on duty as your medic."

"I have nothing to say about Akatsuki. I've had a very good time there, and I won't jeopardize those who are still left."

She sat near a different part of his body, checking other injuries for infection. "Not even Madara?"

He sighed a long-suffering sigh. "That guy... I don't know about him. Although he didn't directly lie to anyone that knew his identity, he did dodge giving straight answers. I'm sure that Zetsu would follow him to the ends of the earth, but... there's still one I want to protect."

Who was left? She mentally went over the names in her head. "Konan, right?"

"Yeah, she really took care of everyone, even if we didn't realize it, so you won't get anything out of me, no matter how nice you are."

"I know. I don't expect to. I heard she returned to the land of rain to honor her former teammates and give them a proper burial. Nagato had the rin'negan... he was so powerful, and yet Naruto somehow got through to him."

"The rin'negan, geez... you should have seen the horrifying things he could do. I heard this place is quite the crater now, but of course I wasn't conscious when I was brought here."

"It is, but Naruto somehow managed to reach him. With the last of his energy, he bridged the gap between life and death with the rin'negan and brought everyone back to life. But... then he died." Behind her, Ino had been about to open the door, but now she curiously eavesdropped on their conversation. What were they doing talking to each other like friends?

"None of us never knew about Nagato, only his aspect Pain. I only found out after the whole Konoha incident, things like that tend to leak. I always had a notion he was hiding something, but again, the past was past while in Akatsuki, and he especially had the privilege to be silent. True leader or not, he was powerful. Still, I know first hand what can happen when a child is given power he isn't ready for."

"I know. Because of that same thing, Itachi died a martyr for his village. He really... loved Konoha, to follow the orders to slay his clan. If he hadn't..."

"And now that brat Sasuke will probably take his eyes." He sneered distastefully. "I know that stealing bloodline limits like that is hardly new to any village, but I bet he'll do it. How could he not, with them sitting right there?"

"Why would he want to take Itachi's eyes? He already has the sharingan."

He looked a bit warily at her. "Never mind that. Itachi wouldn't let that happen."

"It's the mangekyo..." She recalled what Kakashi had said to Itachi. "He was going blind."

Another sigh came from him as he leaned back. "You really do have the dirt on everyone, don't you? How did you know about the mangekyo?"

"Well, first of all, my sensei has it. When we encountered his clone during the chase after Gaara, Kakashi mentioned it out loud. So, I couldn't help but wonder, especially now that I know about Madara. No doubt he has the mangekyo. Kakashi doesn't suffer from the onset of blindness because he is surrounded by the best medics, and his eye was a transplant. But what if the transplant was between blood relatives, especially brothers? Maybe the blindness would be affected differently."

"You are the most aggravating kunoichi I have ever been trapped in a room with."

By now, she had figured out that he only said things like this when she was absolutely right. "Thank you. So I'm right. Between brothers would be more effective, maybe it would even eliminate the risk of blindness. Maybe Itachi intended for Sasuke to take his eyes, maybe he thought Sasuke would kill Madara. I don't know. What about the rin'negan though? I don't think Madara would let it go just like that, it's the most powerful doujutsu in existence. Would he give it to someone else?"

he scoffed. "More like give it to himself." Suddenly they both realized what he just said.

"You don't think...?"

"He wouldn't... no, he would. He's going to go after Konan! What the hell was I thinking? Why didn't I see this coming? Damn... none of us expected Leader to die. Of course we never thought of it, he was so powerful... and now I can't even help her." He sagged limply in his chains. "By now it's too late. It's been days! If Madara has had his way, he's already been and gone by now. How could I be so stupid?"

She hesitated before resting her hand on his shoulder. "It's not a matter of being stupid, it's just... I don't know. Nobody saw that coming, I suppose."

At this point, he felt completely defeated. If Konan was under attack, all was lost from his perspective. He no longer cared who knew what anymore. "You don't get it. He outright lied to us, all of us. Do you want to know why I joined Akatsuki?" She was listening patiently, her expression open. "I wanted truth. Everything I had ever been through until I got into Akatsuki had been one unending lie after another. The third Mizukage was under Madara's control..." He stopped suddenly, looking at the door. "Well, miss Ino, if you're going to stand so close to the door, you might as well come in."

Ino edged her way in sheepishly. "I uh... Ibiki went to get some supplies, I came to tell you."

"How long, ten minutes ago? You're as much of a sneak as this girl is. I bet you have been cohorts since childhood."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "You're right about that. How long were you standing there, Ino?"

She didn't seem to know what to do with herself, fidgeting nervously. "Well, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but... Oh, alright, maybe I did! I haven't been told anything that's been going on lately, and I heard you talking. Ever since you went off to fight Akatsuki, I've been left behind to take care of everything! I just wanted to know what I've been trying to fight against. That, and I was just so surprised that Kisame was saying something other than lewd comments."

Sakura eyed him accusingly. "Lewd comments, hm?"

He only grinned victoriously. "Can't come in with a rack like that and expect me to ignore it." When Sakura flicked a glare at him, he shrugged. "What? She;s the new girl. It's fun breaking in a new medic. Too bad my hands are tied."

She only rolled her eyes, dragging a frustrated Ino as she waled out of the building. "Come on, maybe he'll behave more if he gets bored of talking to the wall! I'll explain everything to you." Inside, though, she dreaded the thought. This was going to be a very interesting conversation trying to explain all of this to Ino.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm very very lost with this manga right now. Bear with me if a few things are out of order. I have gone and used the Naruto wiki to make sure I know a bit more about where exactly everyone is right now, as well as more details on characteristics.

Submergence - Chapter 4

Kisame couldn't help but grin at himself. _That was pretty brilliant, if I may say so myself._ When Sakura had returned with her note pad, he had leaned over and tore the top sheet off, making a scene of swallowing it. She had left, frustrated, and now that dusk had long since fallen, everyone had called it a day. What they hadn't figured out, though, was that the paper was still in his mouth. _Of course not, they expected I would eat it. Sorry, but I'm not going down that easily._ He just couldn't help himself. _Yes, poor me, poor Kisame, poor protector of Konan, poor sufferer of Madara. Too bad you fell for it._ Alone in the darkness, he waited an hour after everyone left, only the night guard behind. He spit the paper out carefully, trying not to get it any wetter than it already was. A quick bite on his arm bled, his tongue licking the crimson substance and drawing a seal on the paper.

It had been a long time since he had tried to concentrate chakra on his tongue, but he knew he could. Yes, Sakura had done a nice job of sealing his chakra below the neck, but above he was still quite functional. He knew she couldn't seal off his chakra entirely without killing him. Biting carefully, he licked the paper and stuck it to his chains. _I ought to go on a rampage just for having to go to so much trouble._ A rampage wouldn't be such a good idea within the village, he was grossly outnumbered, but the thought was still nice. _Well, I'd spare the girl, though. She was tolerable._ Chakra formed slowly at the tip of what was left of his tongue, the seal dispelling the jutsu that held his chakra captive.

"Finally." With his chakra restored, he used his enhanced strength to yank the chains apart as quietly and quickly as he could. "Nice knowing you." He created two clones, one to look like him, and one to look like the chains. The broken chains came along, evidence hidden. The back window, he had noticed, was in a blind corner, and a few hand seals later, he formed a basic cloaking genjutsu. With that done, he slipped off into the dusky darkness, back into the life of a wandering nin. Time to regroup and find Madara.

* * *

"Sakura, you mean to tell me that Sasuke killed his brother for nothing?" Ino couldn't believe her ears. How much had she missed out on?

Sakura sighed heavily, seated across the table at the restaurant. "Basically. Itachi protected this place on the council's direct orders. Although I can understand that, it's still so unsettling to think of how much else they could be hiding. We can't do anything about what has already been done, but Madara still needs to be taken care of. I don't know how to do it. I just wish we had someone around here that knows Madara but is willing to talk to us."

Ino took a bite, talking with food in her mouth. Only around her friends was she so sloppy. "What about that red haired girl you brought back after Sasuke killed Danzo? Where is she?"

"Oh! Ino, you're a genius!"

She puffed up playfully. "Why yes, yes I am."

"Seriously though, she might be able to help us. She's being held in one of the temporary buildings. We're not keeping her as a prisoner, exactly. Strangely enough, she's just as done with Sasuke as we are, and she seemed willing to help, as long as she benefits from it."

"Yeah, she worked with Orochimaru." She shuddered dramatically. "What a creep. He wouldn't have given her much luxury, for sure. You know, there are plenty of attractive guys around Konoha, and she would easily find a job here as a ninja. Maybe she would be willing to help, if only to gain her freedom. From what I saw of her, she doesn't seem to mind following orders for the right benefits. We just have to make her an offer she can't refuse."

"That's a good idea! I better get going, then. There's still an hour or so before I need to get to bed." She reached into her pocket, digging around for her money. "That's weird... have you seen my coin purse?"

"Not that I remember. Did you leave it in the interrogation room?"

"I haven't been anywhere else today. Well, if I'm going there anyway, I'll go find Karin and see if she would be willing to talk to Kisame about Madara. I don't have any other ideas anyway. I'll pay you back for the food."

"That's fine, just don't forget!"

"You know I never do." She waved briefly, heading towards another end of the developed half of the village. Karin had been brought to Konoha, tired and fed up, into a small temporary apartment. Although she was hardly prevented from leaving, exactly, she didn't have anywhere to go. Suigetsu and Juugo had not been seen recently. Where else did she really have? Sakura herself had taken her back, sharing a couple stories here and there on the trip. Both were fed up with Sasuke. Yes, they still cared, but at some point, enough was enough. The temporary apartments ahead were small but cozy, and she checked the tenant list before finding the right apartment. Knocking softly, she waited.

The redhead appeared, looking a bit flustered. "Huh? Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I... well, I have a little proposition for you. It's about Sasuke."

She peered suspiciously down the corridor, her voice a hushed whisper. "No ANBU? No investigators?"

"Just me. Why? Have the ANBU been here recently?"

"I think they were ANBU, they had the same masks. Come on. Get in, we can't talk out here." She stepped aside, letting Sakura in and forming a chakra seal over the door. When Sakura eyed her curiously, she only shook her head. "The people here are such snoops. I swear they're watching my every move, not that I blame them. I'm not innocent."

"Sasuke was using you. If anyone understands that, it's me. Are you sure nobody can hear us?"

"I used to use that seal all the time on the island to drown out the prisoners. It works."

She grimaced slightly at the mention of the past. "Well... this isn't exactly about Sasuke. This is about Madara. I need your help. We all do."

Karin paced, growing suspicious. "We? What do you want to know? What do you need? Who all is in this little scheme of yours? I just want to be left alone, what are you trying to get me into?"

She held her hands up defensively. "I'm not trying to cause you any problems. If anything, you can help me solve a few. Like I said, I have a small proposition, and this might just involve Sasuke. We captured the Akatsuki nin Hoshigaki Kisame, and he knows about Madara. He isn't saying as much as we would like. Most of it have been things that we somewhat suspected already or already figured out, but I know he knows all kinds of things. You remember him, he was the one who fought Suigetsu when Sasuke went to confront Itachi."

Karin made a face. "Oh, him. If you need to know about Madara, I can tell you a few things. But what is this proposition? What's in this for me?"

"Well, if you cooperate, I'll talk with Tsunade. Face it, you don't have anywhere to go now. I know you're a good ninja, but I don't think you would do well on your own. So far, you're only here in relative freedom because you've been very helpful, but eventually that might change. You'll need a job, a permanent place to live. If you're willing to help me, I'll do whatever I can to make sure you get that."

Her eyes were dim as she considered the suggestion. "I could just leave right now."

"Oh, sure, leave now and get killed by hunters. You know as well as I do that you can't outrun hunters forever. I couldn't either. That's no kind of life. I know you still care about Sasuke." At Karin's glare, she continued. "I know. He has gone too far, but I still care too. We both know that Madara is trying to manipulate him. This might be our last chance."

She sighed heavily, turning to look out the window. "I'm done with him. There are other ninjas out there that are attractive and less dangerous. Madara, though..." Her eyes burned darkly when she turned around. "I want him dead. If this ends up with him dead, I'll do whatever it takes."

"I hate the thought of ending any life, but he has made it necessary. I do this to protect my village. Whatever reason you do this for, I will talk to Tsunade. I'll make sure from then on, you will have a fair life. You'll have to work, but it's worth it." Just then, she thought of what they had talked about earlier. "What did the ANBU want from you anyway?" Karin's ambitions had been unclear from the very beginning, but she thought that Ibiki had already found out everything.

"Mostly things about Danzo, since I was there when Sasuke killed him. It was strange, though, they didn't ask me about his techniques or anything like that. You would think that would be the first thing they would ask me, but they didn't. They asked me more about Sasuke, actually."

"That doesn't make any sense... Well, maybe it does, I guess. Sasuke got a lot of new techniques recently, and he is still considered an enemy and Danzo is dead. I know it's a little late, but do you think you would mind going to talk to Kisame now?"

She shook her head. "It's still somewhat early. I've never been much of an early riser anyway. If Madara will be your target, now is better than later. I'll help you." Her lips thinned, her expression disbelieving. "I hate to say it, but I'm going to trust you on this. You still feel like you should be my enemy, but I really do have nothing left, and my reputation would make me completely unwelcome everywhere I go. Don't let me down."

"I promise I'll put a good word in for you, but you need to earn it. The more you do against Madara, the more I can say for you. Come on. I'll show you where Kisame is." She stepped outside, waiting for Karin to lock up before heading outside. The stars were nearly out, but lanterns lit the sidewalks. It was still early for some, and not quite time for bed for others. Although the night life was hardly what it used to be, there was still enough to do to keep people out at this hour. A few ninjas looked on curiously, but they both ignored the glances, making haste for the interrogation building. The night guard let them in with little incident, used to the occasional late night. However, once they got inside, Karin uttered a loud huff.

"What's this supposed to be?" She made a quick seal, unleashing her special ability to see chakra. Almost as soon as she had begun, she made a sound of disapproval. "Looks like your prisoner already had plans. He's gone. This thing is just a clone."

"What?" Sakura rushed over to the scene, checking the chains holding the clone. "But the chains..."

"It's a clone too, he transformed it into the chains. This is a pretty good clone and transformation job, but it doesn't have the same reading as an original body."

"That's right, you can see chakra. Can you tell where he went?"

"Of course. He didn't bother to hide his chakra trail, because he probably doesn't know a thing about me, plus nobody else has my ability. True, you have sensors around here, but by the time you noticed he was gone in the morning, his trail would be cold. It looks like he hid his scent and probably used genjutsu to evade sight, but yeah, I can find him. The trail is still fresh."

"But how... how did he get out? These chains seal chakra! How did he get out if only his head was free?"

"A good question." She circled the scene, not touching anything. "Did he ever take any paper?"

"Paper?" Her eyes widened, remembering the incident earlier. "He tore a piece of my notes and he ate them. I thought he ate them, anyway."

"He's skilled enough to pull it off. He probably made a seal with it."

"Damn it!" She wanted to punch something, but she knew better than to do it here. "How could I have been so dumb! He said those things to put me off... to make me think he was willing to help us! How could I have done this?"

"It's not your fault, Sakura. He's Akatsuki. They are all S-rank ninjas with years of experience behind them, and as we speak he's getting away! If we want to have any chance of finding him again, we have to leave now."

"What about these clones? What about telling Tsunade?"

"Leave them. If they're shadow clones, and knowing him they probably are, we can't destroy them or he will know we found him out. We have to chase him now before he knows, so we don't have any time to tell anyone."

Sakura's fists tightened out of pent up rage. "Damn it... I hate the thought of us going alone, but you're right. The longer we wait, the further away he gets. Let me stop by my tent first, though, I have supplies there. We won't get very far without those." She didn't wait for an answer, leaving the building as casually as she could to make sure the night guard didn't catch on. Once out of sight, though, the two ran headlong to her tent, where she stuffed as many supplies into her pack as she could, along with a few packs of dried food. Karin waited outside for her to change out of civilian clothing. Casual garb hadn't been Karin's taste at any point, so she had been ready. Sakura, though, changed with admirable speed into something easier to fight in, her plain black tank, shorts and slitted skirt, all black, including her tall boots and long gloves. A deep crimson, extra long forehead protector was the only kind she had that was a dark color, so she packed that as well, hastily putting it on her forehead before rushing out. This might lead to a battle, and she was going to take it seriously.

In the beginning, Sakura's skills had been primarily genjutsu, and she still practiced them along with her medical training. Now, casting a genjutsu over both of them for camouflage was hardly difficult, and they managed to escape the village with little effort. The barrier previously around the area had been destroyed when Pain unleashed his attack, and now worked to their benefit. Her plan was only to track Kisame and find out where he was going, not to fight. If she caught him vulnerable, she would try to knock him out, but that seemed unlikely. As they ran, she mixed up a few of the various substances she typically carried on hand, blending together a strong tranquilizer. Make that extra strong, someone of his height and muscle density could take a serious hit and still not go down.

Karin constantly scoped the landscape ahead, tracing Kisame's trail but not too closely. She wanted to hide their trail to prevent hunters from coming after them too. This was technically an unsanctioned mission, and anything could happen. Fortunately, Karin was very skilled at covering up just about anything, so maybe she really could have survived on her own. Still, that wasn't what Sakura would call living, always on the run, always watching behind. Strange that she had left so easily on this mission that would include exactly that. This was for the village, for information on Akatsuki. This was to save Naruto, too.

The stars shone in earnest now, showing the direction as they ran. From time to time, Karin changed direction abruptly, the trail ahead of them trying to be equally inconspicuous. A few times, she stopped to get her bearings, making marks on a piece of paper. When Sakura asked what she was doing, she only showed her the paper bearing a crude map. "I'm making this up so if he goes to the base, we will know later where it is. I'm not the best map maker in the world, but I can at least judge distance and direction well enough. This should be a decent guide later."

Sakura nodded approvingly. "That's a very good skill you have."

"I had to learn it when Orochimaru brought me in. I used to be a tracker before he put me in charge of the prison compound. I would make a rough draft, and Kabuto would later plot it out."

"Kabuto? I wonder where he is right now."

"I honestly couldn't tell you, I haven't seen him recently. I already told your interrogator Ibiki everything he could possibly find interesting. Alright. Let's keep moving." She dashed ahead, Sakura at her heels. The chakra trail steadily grew stronger as they ran, telling them that Kisame was running at a slower pace. That made sense; he was still suffering from disease and from being confined for days without food. At one point, Karin called a sudden halt, and crept low to the bushes. "He's in that cave, I can sense him. Do you see it?"

She slipped under a different bush, pushing her chakra levels down. Even though Karin was the only sensor type she knew of, there were other sensors in the world and Kisame was very in tune with chakra. He might have a natural sense for it, if not being a sensor himself. "Yes, I see the cave. How should we do this?"

"He's been going slower than we are, which might mean he's injured."

"Right, he hasn't eaten through his imprisonment and he caught a serious infection. I wasn't able to completely heal it, so he's still recovering. We might be able to exploit that. While we were running, I made a tranquilizer strong enough to knock even him out, but I have to get close enough to either get a senbon or a syringe into him."

"I'm better as a long ranged observer. It would be better if we did this through stealth. I have trained long and hard under Orochimaru, I'm not weak anymore. After all, a woman's determination really can move the mightiest stones. I've heard what you can do. Think about this hard, and let's come up with a plan."

She took a long look at Karin, suddenly reminded of herself. So she used to be thought of as weak and useless too, did she? "Neither of us are weak now. We'll come up with something." Her eyes scanned the cave ahead, a defensible small cave with a narrow entrance. No doubt he would have set up the usual traps outside. A kunai launcher could barely be seen up in the trees, and who knew what else he had had the time to set up. There had to be a way to get close to him. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

If it was one thing Kisame knew, it was that he was incredibly hungry. The night was still young, and nobody would know he was even gone until morning at least. He hid his chakra and cloaked his movements, searching the landscape for food. Not far from his camp, a very tasty deer wandered into his path. His mouth watered just thinking about all of that tasty meat right in front of him, but he stalked the thing carefully. It wandered around, nibbling at a bit of grass as it went, pausing. Closer he crept, waiting for the right moment to strike. When it reached up to take a bite of a leaf, he found the weak spot, throwing his kunai straight into the deer's heart. "Shit..." The deer vanished in a puff of smoke, a transformed shadow clone.

Sakura appeared out of seemingly nowhere, a chakra enhanced punch aimed straight for his head. He ducked at the last second, his speed and perception dimmed by hunger. She knew how weak he was right now, she knew very well how hunger affected the brain, especially days of it. Her speed was her greatest ally right now, enhanced even further by her chakra. Kisame dropped to the ground, chakra surging as she came forth, catching her with a burst of water and knocking her aside. Karin had stayed behind to observe Kisame's tactics, scoping out any small weakness and keeping herself hidden. With any luck, it would be well into the battle before Kisame knew she hadn't come alone.

The two exchanged blows, Sakura keeping her distance as much as possible. Without Samehada, he didn't have any way of stealing her chakra. However, he was still Akatsuki, he still had far more experience, techniques and tricks. His chakra was immense even in his weak state, but she knew he couldn't hold up the pace he was setting. Her careful moderation of her limited chakra would outdo his reckless expenditure. She dodged blow after blow, her evasion training coming in handy. After a while, she yanked out a scroll, unsealing a short sword, finally on the offense. Kisame was formidable, his strength exceeding hers, but her lithe agility allowed her to evade most of his punches and kicks. He finally landed a solid kick, knocking the air out of her. A water clone sprouted behind her, kicking her into a nearby tree.

Karin waited for the signal, for the moment to strike. This plan was insane, in her opinion, but nothing else had sounded better. Surprisingly, Sakura was holding her own fairly well, being able to dodge the brunt of his attacks and wear him down. Despite his obvious difficulties, he launched several types of complicated ninjutsu after her, catching her off guard more than once. Kisame tried to capture her in the water prison technique, but Sakura had remembered how, so long ago, Zabuza had looked when he tried the same attack. She dodged, evading and catching the one small opening left on his side, kicking him with all of her strength. Karin watched this go on, certain that he had broken a few ribs with that, if not more.

Sakura couldn't take much more of this. Though she had worn Kisame down tremendously, she knew she couldn't win if she kept this up. She held her fist high in the air. That was the signal. With one last mighty blow, she launched a chakra enhanced punch straight into the ground near Kisame. He dodged, of course, but that was what she expected. With that jump, he placed himself right into Karin's path. Distracted by Sakura's headlong attack, he never heard or sensed Karin come from behind to stab his shoulder with a kunai.

He turned around, looking at the kunoichi behind him with confusion. "Ah, it's you again. Now you have betrayed Madara as well."

She glared down at him, the tranquilizer from the kunai slowly taking effect. "I was never with Madara. I was with Sasuke. Orochimaru found Akatsuki a threat to him. I'm here for my own reasons." Kisame could no longer stand, the high dose of tranquilizer knocking him out cold.

Sakura came to his side immediately, redoing the paralyzation jutsu. "That was too close." She was out of breath, bleeding from dozens of wounds, most of them ruptured bruises since he had only been capable of hand to hand combat. Once Kisame was out and contained, she set to healing the major cuts and organ damage.

Karin quietly came closer, taking Sakura's pack and helping her bandage the leftover wounds. When Sakura looked up with a silent question, she only shook her head. "Just paying back the favor. You're the only experienced medic, I don't know as much about healing as you. It wouldn't be good if you were too weak to continue."

"Thank you." She finished the last of the bandaging, leaving most of her injuries to heal on their own and conserving her remaining chakra. They both concealed the scene, hiding all evidence of battle. "Do you want to go back to Konoha now or wait until morning?"

She grimaced at Sakura's condition. "Do you think going back now is a good idea?"

"No, but the longer we're out here, the more likely we are to be noticed by hunters." She tried to pick up Kisame, but his weight was too much for her. Her chakra was too low to enhance her strength. "I can't pick him up."

"I'll get him." Karin used her own chakra to slightly enhance her strength, hefting Kisame over her shoulders. "Some of the prisoners back on the island were even bigger than this guy, and guess who had to tote them around? I should be able to keep pace with you."

Sakura was still feeling weak, blood lost and energy drained. "If you can't, I would worry." She let out a small laugh, wearily running ahead.

The trip back to Konoha took much longer than they expected, with Sakura as injured as she was. Still, they managed to at least cover their trail and remain out of sight, arriving in Konoha just as the sun began to rise. They didn't bother to conceal themselves once within the village limits, too tired and worn to care who saw them. Sakura collapsed the moment she entered the village gate, the ninjas on duty quickly attending to her. Others were shocked to see Karin carrying Kisame over her shoulders, but once the clones were discovered, everything was better explained. Karin filled in a few details before dropping Kisame off at the interrogation room unceremoniously, not one for long talks. Yamato was immediately brought to the situation along with a few others she couldn't remember the names of, resealing the chains and adding other precautions.

Yamato, finally free, rushed up to Karin. "What happened? Are you two alright?"

She nodded, tired of explaining the incident to so many people. "We're fine, she's just exhausted. Kisame escaped, so we went after him."

His brow raised curiously. "Why did you help her?"

Her silence lengthened, her frown widening. "Madara is the one that turned Sasuke down the path he took. If this will help you kill that man, then I will be satisfied. Konoha has opposed Orochimaru, but we now both oppose Akatsuki."

"Ah, yes, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Maybe. I have nothing left. Orochimaru is dead. Kabuto's loyalties were never clear, and I would never follow him. If I can be useful, then use me, I don't care anymore. Naruto is an interesting person, and I want to see where this goes. I have my own reasons for doing what I do, but I won't harm anyone."

"We won't use you so callously, but we will appreciate your willingness. Konoha is a different place from what you might have expected."

She looked around, her eyes following the scenery as people woke for the morning duties. "I can already tell that. I wonder if Naruto will stop Madara after all."

"We'll have to wait and see."


End file.
